For starters, MC Lyte was the well-deserving recipient of the night’s biggest honor, the “I AM Hip Hop” award. The lyricist, who became the first female rapper to release a solo album in 1988, used her platform not to self glorify, but to school the current generation of hip hop. In a genre still dominated by men, her words were much-needed, and considering the overwhelming response on Twitter, the community at large stood in agreement.

“Men, we are depending on you. We need you to protect us when no one else will. So stop cursing us out all the time. Find some love for us somewhere,” she said. “And ladies, I say if you want to be treated like a queen, act like one.”

Cheers to that!

Click through the slides to see our other favorite female-empowerment moments from the show, including Lil Kim and Rapsody holding it down for the ladies in separate cyphers.